Crockpot Pulled Pork & Beer Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Friday, you are here! It seems like this week flew by. Which I am definitely not complaining about. Hopefully it doesnt end up snowing too much today and the commute home from work is safe and easy for all!

I have yet ANOTHER slow-cooker recipe to share with you all. I made this a couple of weeks ago for Harry and his younger brother Nick. Nick is a pretty picky eater but this seemed right down his alley. I’ve been on a slow-cooker kick anyway (see Apple Cinnamon Steel Cut Oatmeal) and had been eyeing up this recipe from the one and only How Sweet Eats (note: these photos are from Jessica’s Blog…my photos came out not so good) so I decided to give this recipe a try. The boys absolutely LOVED IT…as did I. I bought fresh bread from a bakery on Main Street and sliced it – I ended up with HUGE slices and therefore HUGE sandwiches. I had a hard time finishing my two halves…the boys did too! But they managed to finish. As for me, I couldnt finish it all. Which, if you know me, is very unlike me! I served this with a caesar salad which made for a really nice combo! **note: this makes a lot of pork…I’d estimate enough for make 6-8 sandwiches.

Ingredients

Pulled pork

1 (6 pound) pork butt/shoulder (mine was bone-in) – I could only find an 11 lb pork shoulder so I cut it in half and froze one of the halves for another date!

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

12 ounces of beer

32 ounces of barbecue sauce + additional for drizzling

Grilled cheese sandwiches

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons flour

2/3 cup beer

1/3 cup milk

6 ounces freshly grated white cheddar cheese

8 slices slices bread (I used fresh sourdough bread from a bakery)

softened butter for spreading

Directions

for pork:

heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add about 1-2 tablespoons olive oil. Sear the pork on every side (about 2-3 minutes per side) until golden brown before adding to the crockpot.

This makes a ton of pork and can be made well ahead of time and also frozen afterwards!

for sandwiches:

To make the beer cheese sauce, heat a small saucepan over medium heat and add butter. Once sizzling, whisk in flour and stir for 1-2 minutes until golden and fragrant and bubbly. Add in beer and milk, whisking well to combine, then reduce heat to low and add cheese, stirring until totally melted and smooth. Keep over low heat and stir every few minutes while assembling sandwiches.

Heat an electric skillet or griddle over medium heat. Butter the outside sides of each slice of bread. Place 4 slices butter-side down on the skillet, then top with a few handfuls of pulled pork. Cover in cheese sauce, then top with the other slices or bread, butter-side up. I cooked these grilled cheeses a lot quicker than the others I usually make since the cheese is already melted. As long as the pork and cheese sauce is warm, cook these until each side is deeply golden and crispy, about 2-3 minutes. Serve immediately!

the pork all ready to be slow-cooked!

This was great meal. Hearty and satisfying… perfect for a cold winter night and definitely something that I will be making again and again in the future. This would even be perfect for a Super Bowl Party! Stay warm and safe out there! Have a nice weekend!